Skinning-tool.



JAMES C. BOYLE, OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANAIZA.

SKINNING-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1907.

Application filed October 19. 1906. Serial No. 339.637.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. BOYLE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Calgary, in the Province of Alberta, Dominion of Canada,have invented'a new and Improved Skinning-Tool, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to butchering, and its object is to provide a newand improved skinning tool, arranged to permit of quick and accurateskinning of animals without requiring a skilled or expert knife man, andwithout danger of cutting the flesh or mutilating the hide.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and thenpointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement; Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same substantially on the line 2,2, in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a similar view of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The skinning tool is mounted in a suitably constructed casing Asupporting a stud B on which ismounted to rotate a circular knife Cextending with its cutting edge between segmental guards A, A formingparts of the casing A, and of which the guard A is provided at itsperipheral edge withcorrugations, as plainly indicated in Fig. 1.

On one face of the knife 0 is secured a r0- tary motor D of any approvedconstruction, and adapted to be driven by a suitable motive agent, suchas compressed air and the like, delivered to the peripheral buckets ofthe motor D by a nozzle E secured on the casing A, and connected by aflexible tube F with a suitable supply of motive agent.

The nozzle E is provided with a valve G carrying on its valve stem G anarm Gr connected by a link H with a hand lever I fulcrumed at I on theoutside of the casing A and at the peripheral face thereof, as plainlyindicated in the drawings. A spring J presses the hand lever I to normally hold the same man outermost position and the valve G in a closedposition, but when the tool is in use and the operator has hold of thecasing A by inserting the ngers in finger holes A A" and presses withtfiie ver I then the valve G is opened to allow the motive agent to passto the motor I) to retate the same, and consequently the knife C.

The hand lever I is preferably provided with a lug I for the palm of theoperator to butt against. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hand holes A Aare preferably arranged in the front of the casing to permit theoperator to conveniently take hold of the casing and move the sameabout, to bring the cutting edge of the knife O in roper positionbetween the skin and the l esh with a view to sever the same. Now, byhaving the peripheral cutting edge of the knife C extend between theguards A, A it is evident that the cutting edge is not liable to cutunduly into the flesh or to mutilate the hide. By reference to Figs. 2and 3 it will be seen that the guard A is approximately straight whilethe guard A is inclined to keep the cutting edge of the knife as free aspossible from the skin and flesh to allow free rotation and propercutting of the knife when the device is used.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the cutting edge of theknife C extends ap proximately midway between the length of thecorrugations on the guard A to permit the cutting edge to readily cutthe flesh but not to allow the hide to pass between the corrugations andbe scored. In order to insure an easy running of the knife C, suitableball bearings K and K are provided, of which the ball bearings K areinterposed between one face of the knife C and the opposite inner faceof the casing A, and the ball bearings K are interposed between one endof the hub of the knife C and the cap A screwing centrally on the casingA. In order to permit convenient sharpening of the cutting edge of thecircular knife 0, the easing is provided with an aperture A (see Fig. 2)for the insertion of a sharpening steel.

The skinning tool as shown and described is very SlIl'lPlG and durablein construction, and can be readily manipulated without requiring askilled or expert knife man and without danger of cutting the llesh ormutilating the hide.

Although I have shown and described a motor directly attached to therotary knife, it is evident that other suitable means may be employedfor rotating the circular knife, and hence I do not limit myself to thepar- 1 ticular means shown and described.

palm of the hand thele vHaving thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A skinning tool, comprising a flat casing segmental knife guardsforming part of said casing, one of which is straight and the otherextends at an angle to the straight guard, the straight guard havingprojections at its edge extending beyond the inclined guard, a circularknife mounted to revolve in the said casing and having its. cutting edgeextending between the guards, a rotary motor on the said knife withinthe casing, and a supply tube on the casing and discharging the motiveagent into the said motor.

2. A skinning tool comprising a casing, spaced segmental guards formingpart of said casing, one of said guards being straight and corrugated atits edge and the other being inclined to the straight guard, a circularknife mounted to rotate in the said casing and extending with itscutting edge between the said guards, the circular cutting edge of theknife extending approximately midway of the length of the corrugationson the straight guard, and means for rotating the said knife.

3. A skinning tool comprising a casing having a portion inclosing partof the cutting edge of the knife, the said portion being provided withfinger holes, segmental knife guards forming part of the casing, acircular knife mounted to revolve in the said casing and having itscutting edge extending between the guards, a rotary motor on the saidknife within the casing, means on the casing for discharging the motiveagent into the said motor, and means for controlling the supply ofmotive agent to the motor, the said means including a hand lever fucrumed on the outside of the casing and located adjacent to the fingerholes.

4. A skinning tool comprising a casing having a portion adapted toinclose part of the cutting edge of the knife, the said portion beingprovided in its periphery with an aperture leading to the cutting edgeof the knife for the insertion of a sharpening tool, the said portion ofthe casing being further providedwith linger holes, segmental knifeguards forming part of the casing, a circular knife mounted to rotate inthe said casing and having its cutting edge extending between theguards, and means for rotating said knife.

5. A skinning tool comprising a casing having an opening in one of itsfaces, a cap for closing said opening, a central stud supported by thecasing, spaced guards forming part of the casing, a circular knifehaving a hub mounted to turn on said stud, the said knife having itscutting edge extending between the guards, ball bearings interposedbetween one face of said knife and the inner face 'of the casing, ballbearings interposed between the end of the hub and the said cap, and amotor on the knife within the casing for rotating the said knife.

6. A skinning tool comprising a flat casing, segmental knife guardsforming part of said casing, one of said guards being straight and theother extending at an angle to the straight guard, the said straightguard having spaced projections at its edge extending beyond the edge ofthe inclined guard, a circular knife mounted to revolve in the saidcasing, and having its cutting edge extending between the guards, arotary motor on the said knife within the casing, a supply tube on thecasing and discharging the motive agent into the said motor, the casingbeing provided in the face opposite the motor with a central opening anda screwcap for closing said opening.

7. A skinning tool comprising a casing having a circular opening in oneof its faces, a cap screwing on said casing and closing said opening, acentral stud secured to the cap and the opposite face of the casing,spaced guards forming part of the casing, and a circular knife having ahub mounted to turn on said stud, the cutting edge of the knifeextending between the guards, the said hub being supported by the screwcap.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES (3. BOYLE.

Vitnesses:

L. P. Srnone, E. S. HoToHKIss.

